Major new housing development could come to Olympia

The Philadelphia firm that redeveloped the Olympia and Granby mills and the Palmetto Compress building into apartments is eyeing another major housing development in the mill villages.

The company is asking to have a 5.68 acre tract of property adjacent to the mill villages annexed into the city of Columbia and rezoned from Richland County’s heavy industrial classification to a city zoning that would allow single family or multifamily residential, sources said.

A representative for the PMC Property Group, which also built the 612 Whaley Street apartment building in front of the mills, declined comment. But community leaders who have met with the firm are applauding plans for a high density apartment building or townhouses.

“It’s a work in progress,” said Bob Guild, president of the Granby Mill Village Association. “But we are generally supportive of what they are doing.”

The property at 135 Williams ST., is adjacent to the the northern rim of the Vulcan Materials quarry and was adjacent to the quarry’s former entrance. It is located just west of the Granby Mill.

Community leaders said they have been shown two plans, one for a multi-story, high-density building similar to 612 Whaley, which also houses Village Idiot pizza and formerly White Duck Tacos. The other is for lower density townhouses.

“I’m always for higher density in the mill villages,” said developer Richard Burts, owner of 701 Whaley, an event space in the former mill villages’ community center. “ I don’t think anything completely design-wise has been settled on. But my hope is they will provide some three story-ish buildings back there.”

PMC is also considering a $55 million plan for 194 apartments and more than 3,000 square feet of retail space at the corner of Huger and Blossom streets, a former antique mall site. The company also declined to comment on that project.

This story was originally published January 3, 2019 at 12:10 PM.